FOR US FOUNDATION Awards Grants to Rowland Unified Schools

Students love a field trip. It’s a chance to escape the monotony of the classroom and, better yet, it’s an opportunity to experience learning directly.

Thanks to the Friends of the Rowland Unified Schools (FOR US) Foundation, students from a biology class at SantanaHigh School observed the exotic plant habitat of the Huntington Botanical Gardens in Pasadena.This field trip is just one of many rich educational opportunities FOR US Foundation Grants have given students in RowlandUnifiedSchool District.

The FOR US Foundation recently awarded 19 new grants to teachers at elementary, middle, and high schools throughout the District. This represents approximately $26,500 of funding. Teachers applied for these grants during the previous school year and will receive funds for their 2009-2010 projects this month.

FOR US is a non-profit organization that gives thousands of dollars worth of grants every year to teachers in Rowland Unified schools. At a time when schools are in crisis, these grants allow teachers to give students fun, innovative educational opportunities that school budgets cannot afford.

In the 2009-2010 school year, the Foundation will support a variety of projects. The following are six examples of grants:

With environmental issues in mind, a RowlandHigh School chemistry class will sample water at Newport Beach to understand water chemistry, conservation and the changing conditions of the ocean and its fauna and flora.

Like something out of the popular “CSI Miami” television series, a RowlandHigh School biology class will learn genetic diversity by studying human DNA and fingerprinting.

Technology plays a powerful role in our lives today. Anatomy and physiology students at NogalesHigh School will experience technology firsthand as they examine the human heart and circulatory system using an EKG cardiovascular scanner.

Project FAT (Fitness and Toning) will help students at CommunityDay School understand nutrition, improve their diet, and exercise using a Nintendo Wii.

Students at AlvaradoIntermediateSchool will conduct many experiments using their new “virtual” science lab. This lab equipment offers 200 different experiments.

During the District’s SummerArtsAcademy, elementary school age children will develop their musical talents with new string and brass instruments.

These and many other stimulating programs are funded by FOR US Foundation Grants that help children explore their world—through biology, chemistry, history, technology, and the arts. The Foundation awards these Grants to worthwhile programs that encourage children to love learning, stay in school, become well educated, and ultimately become successful adults.

The Foundation Grant Awards program receives invaluable financial support from sponsors, including City of Industry Black Angus, City of Industry; Around The Corner Bar and Grill, West Covina; Aera Energy LLC, Brea; and Adolph Ziemba AIA & Associates Inc., Burbank.

For more information on how to donate to the FOR US Foundation, please contact Danielle Martinez-Amaya at (626) 935-8432. The FOR US office is located at the RowlandUnifiedSchool District, 1830 S. Nogales Street, Rowland Heights, CA91748. Mark your calendar: Casino Night – the major FOR US fundraising event for teacher grants each year – will be on March 26, 2010.

Photos:

(Grant – Visit to Huntington Gardens)

Students from a biology class at SantanaHigh School observed the exotic plant habitat of the Huntington Botanical Gardens in Pasadena. This field trip is just one of many rich educational opportunities Friends of the Rowland Unified Schools (FOR US) Foundation Grants have given students in District.

(Grant – Strings at Summer Arts Program)

During the District’s SummerArtsAcademy, elementary school age children develop their musical talents using the new violins and violas provided by Friends of the Rowland Unified Schools (FOR US) Foundation Grants. The SummerArtsAcademy encourages children to express themselves in a creative, safe environment.